Atem Asakura
Atem Asakura (アテム・朝倉, "Asakura Atemu") is a living within the . He was once the Vice Captain of the , replacing and serving under for a short period of time between his initial captaincy and the exile of . He left prior to rising to the position to replace him. He was known as an honor-bound man while he was in his position and he always did things by the book, which led to him being known as the Kōkiōji (高貴王子, "Noble Prince") by his subordinates. Appearance Atem wore clothing not typical of the shinigami. While he lived in the he wore a long sleeve black shirt with a white jacket over top. On his hands he wore red and white gloves and he also wore black pants to match the shirt. His outfit only varied when he went on missions when he would wear an outfit similar to the , consisting of a black ninja-like outfit and boots, over top of it he wore a flat jacket. Personality Atem was considered a fierce fighter by his grandparents; considering he had to survive on his own for some time before living there and having had to go through harsh environments in order to carve his way of life. In combat, Atem has been shown to be aggressive, showing little mercy. A constant form of attack was his style as he displayed frightening skills which were beat into him by his grandfather; he was told that if he kept on the offensive he could overcome any obstacle. This however was thankfully countered by his levelheadedness, showing that he had a sense of resolution, and a clear thought pattern, this made sure he did not lose his focus while on missions. As a child, Atem wasn't so bold. He was warm, silent, and not the most vocal as he seemed to be afraid of his own shadow; appearing shy, he wanted to become stronger. His level-headness remained though: he thought clearly, and thrived to do his best in all situations. As he grew older, he grew out of her shyness, and he took on a more mature personality. His goal to become stronger was started when he attended Shinō and met Shōyō, as he got him started with harsh training regiment which allowed him to survive any obstacle, no matter what the odds. Shōyō also trained Atem in the usage of Jinzen which allowed him to form his own zanpakutō, which is seen during his final years at the school. Synopsis Battle over New York History Childhood Atem had died young and spent most of his life in the Soul Society where he was raised by an elderly couple, the very same that raised his unnamed brother. He lived in the Junrinan of the West Rukongai and was there for many years up until when His brother caused the lightning strike, which took out most of the 1st Rukon and set many homes ablaze, it was then his adopted parents sent him to the shino academy to study and become a shinigami as well as to look out for his brother. Time in Shinō While in Shino he met and befriended his teacher, Shōyō Shakyamuni and was taught a great deal from him, and under him at a young age Yue gained the power to call forth his zanpakutou a short Wakizashi with a blue wrapped hilt with intricate white patterns on it; He didn't learn his zanpakutou's name until graduation and he heard its spirit call out its name which was Chōtame and he finally saw its spirit as a carefree female clad in a school girls uniform and pink hair. Recruitment into the Third Division Shortly after graduation, Chōtame was drafted into the Third Division by Captain and after about two years he was promoted to eighth seat of the division, a few years after he moved up to fifth seat. During his time with the third division he learned how to communicate with his zanpakutou spirit and finally learned how to control it thus allowing him to learn its techniques which also marked the day that his captain saw his potential. Promotion to Vice Captain & Departure After he learned his zanpakutou's true power he was able to be promoted again, this time to Vice-Captain which pleased him. He strives to be captain by trying to learn his bankai in the time hes vice-captain, wanting to be the captain of the ninth division but this is short lived as the spot vacated by Captain Madara Kawahiru was filled by another Kawahiru by the name of Sengetsu which angered him greatly as just before that happened he was on the verge of obtaining bankai. He subsequently quit trying to obtain his bankai claiming that his efforts were for naught and when he discovered his brother had defected he went searching for him. Powers and Abilities Immense Spiritual Energy: His spiritual pressure has been noted to be able to change the temperature in an area when he is angered, this level of power was abnormally high for a vice captain level shinigami at the time, but since he has not earned his bankai yet, even with this he could not reach captains level. Tactician: He has also shown himself as a powerful and flexible tactician, capable of adjusting seamlessly to any given combat situation, if not plan out events well in advance. He understands the strengths, weaknesses and mannerisms of his enemies and creates strategies to achieve victory. Though it can be said that the majority of his tactics rely heavily on his speed, making it easier for one to attack. Shunpo User: He is very well versed in the use of Flash Steps and can out maneuver most users of this technique only being beaten by the Goddess of Flash herself, Seireitou Kawahiru, and His Brother. During his time as Vice Captain, He was always first on the scene for battles and used his speed as an edge in dealing damage quickly. Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: He is a very proficient hand-to-hand combatant, possessing considerable masterful skill using it as his primary means of attack in conjunction with his shikai. Equally lethal using punches and kicks as well as being highly unpredictable. His fighting technique is incredibly destructive using his speed and reflexes to quickly take out his opponents. He is skilled enough to even hold his own against stronger opponents for short amounts of time. Kido Expert: Atem is highly proficient in Kidō and is capable of performing high-level Kidō spells without the incantation. For example, during his battle with Chōtame, he used a level 63 binding spell without the incantation Sacred Eye: Passed on to him from his adopted grandparents as a graduation present, he possesses a strange jeweled eye that allows him to see into others inner worlds and as such enter them once contact between his own zanpakutou and his opponents. Zanpakutou | gender = Female | height = | weight = | partner = Atem | previous partner =Hatsūra Nakamura | base of operations = Atem's Inner World | shikai = Chōtame | bankai =Not Yet Achieved }} Chōtame (蝶為, "Butterfly Effect") is the name of Atem's Zanpakutō and when sealed takes the form of a Wakizashi with a blue wrapped hilt and a golden crossguard that is shaped in the form of a pair of butterfly wings. The blade is accented with runes which state "Chaos can not be controlled." When not in use he keeps this under his uniform similarly to that of his former captain so that it is not visible. *' :' To release he utters the phrase "Change" (異状, "Ijō") to which his blade resonates for a brief moment and then doesn't change in its overall appearance. :Shikai Special Ability: According to Atem his blades power is best explained as the Butterfly Effect as its powers, conditions and function change based on his opponents actions, thoughts and decisions. This can be best explained by the question "Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?" This is the basis of his techniques as his sword reacts to the systematic abilities of all spiritual beings such as / , , and to name a few. As his opponent uses one of these skills his sword automatically reacts and devises a counter measure for it by changing its shape, form, size or range to stop them from using the attack or ability based on how it reacted, however if multiple attacks or techniques are used to mask the intended target this power is rendered inert. :* Hypersonic Blade Extension and Contraction: As part of his zanpakutou's ability it also reacts to his own actions and thoughts and as such has the power to mimic his former captains shikai ability. While not as fast as his Gin's Shinsō it can still reach the maximum length of one hundred times its original length within about three seconds of activating this skill, when triggered his sword glows with a white aura and then rapidly extends until it hits its mark. This ability is associated with the change of condition in that Atem would like to attack and his blade responds by extending and contracting in order to comply with that change. :* Amaji (天路, "Laws governing the heavens"): This is the name of the technique that is used when one chooses to use Hohō, once triggered the blade sprouts chains that bind the victims legs and prevents them from moving as the opposite action for movement is staying still. :*'Inga' (因果, "Cause and Effect"): This is the name of the technique that is used when one choose to use Kidō, whether Bakudō and Hadō. Once triggered, a glowing green seal forms on the opponents forehead, sealing away the knowledge of any Kidō at all. Were-Beast Transformation Having been infected by the same virus that created the vizards he had a strange reaction to it causing a transformation not like that of hollowfication but rather bestial as he became a large wolf like creature. Comprised entirely of reishi he has white fur like energy, tipped with blue flames. While transformed he losses most of his control over the beast form and becomes the beast itself letting his primal urges to take over. Trivia *His name was inspired by Pharaoh Atem aka Yami Yugi from the Yu-gi-Oh! series. *His appearance is based on Haru/Hatsu Haru from Fruit Baskets. *His beast form image was drawn by Zanpakuto-Leader on Deviantart.